The history of international trade chronicles notable events that have affected the trade between various countries.

In the era before the rise of the nation state, the term 'international' trade cannot be literally applied, but simply means trade over long distances; the sort of movement in goods which would represent international trade in the modern world.

The goods from the East African trade are landed at one of the three main Roman ports, Arsinoe, Berenice or Myos Hormos.[7]

Myos Hormos and Berencie (rose to prominence during the 1st century BCE) appear to have been important ancient trading ports.[6]

Gerrha controls the Incense trade routes across Arabia to the Mediterranean and exercises control over the trading of aromatics to Babylon in the 1st century BC.[8] Additionally, it served as a port of entry for goods shipped from India to the East.[8]

The economy of the Kingdom of Qataban (light blue) was based on the cultivation and trade of spices and aromatics including frankincense and myrrh. These were exported to the Mediterranean, India and Abyssinia where they were greatly prized by many cultures, using camels on routes through Arabia, and to India by sea.

Pre-Islamic Meccans use the old Incense Route to benefit from the heavy Roman demand for luxury goods.[10]

In Java and Borneo, the introduction of Indian culture creates a demand for aromatics. These trading outposts later serve the Chinese and Arab markets.[11]

Following the demise of the incense trade Yemen takes to the export of coffee via the Red Sea port of al-Mocha.[12]

Portuguese diplomat Pero da Covilha (1460 – after 1526) undertakes a mission to explore the trade routes of the Near East and the adjoining regions of Asia and Africa. The exploration commenced from Santarém (1487) to Barcelona, Naples, Alexandria, Cairo and ultimately to India.

Portuguese explorer and adventurer Vasco da Gama is credited with establishing another sea route from Europe to India.

The first English outpost in the East Indies is established in Sumatra in 1685.

Japan introduces the closed door policy regarding trade(Japan was sealed off to foreigners and only very selective trading to the Dutch and Chinese was allowed) 1639.

The 17th century saw military disturbances around the Ottawa river trade route.[18] During the late 18th century, the French built military forts at strategic locations along the main trade routes of Canada.[19] These forts checked the British advances, served as trading posts which included the Native Americans in fur trade and acted as communications posts.[19]

In 1799, The Dutch East India company, formerly the world's largest company goes bankrupt, partly due to the rise of competitive free trade.

The Japanese Meiji Restoration (1868) leads the way to Japan opening its borders and quickly industrialising through free trade. Under bilateral treaties restraint of trade imports to Japan were forbidden.

In 1873, the Wiener Börse slump signals the start of the continental Long Depression, during which support for protectionism grows.

In 1946. the Bretton Woods system goes into effect; it had been planned since 1944 as an international economic structure to prevent further depressions and wars. It included institutions and rules intended to prevent national trade barriers being erected, as the lack of free trade was considered by many to have been a principal cause of war.